Riddim Cold (2021) – Skelly Dan Records

Skelly Dan leans on the tougher side of the dancehall spectrum here, and the title track name fits the mood: cold, clipped, and stripped for war talk. The release pulls in a tight roster of voices — Matrixz Tymarztein, Dadagraphy, Gunzell, Image Gad, Michigon, Khalifah and 1nevocal — but the session feels most animated when Skelly Dan steps in on the Freestyle cuts, especially “Audiomack Freestyle” and “Banger Freestyle. ” Those tracks give the riddim its sharpest movement, while the other cuts keep the energy in that urgent, streetwise pocket without drifting too far from the core sound. “Fresh Freestyle” and “Fast Freestyle” help round out the pack, but it’s Skelly Dan’s own run through the project that leaves the strongest mark, with the riddim’s icy pulse hanging on after the last tune drops.